About Girl Scout Membership
Girl Scouting is for girls - Girls are the only reason for Girl Scouting. The purpose of this organization is to serve the unique interests and needs of girls. This is stated in our Preamble of basic beliefs and principles, defined in our Constitution, and made explicit in our Girl Scout Congressional Charter.
Girl Scouting is a membership organization - Each adult participating in the Girl Scout Movement shall be registered as members with Girl Scouts of the USA. The Girl Scout program, Girl Scout handbooks and other program resources, Girl Scout uniforms, and insignia are developed and produced by GSUSA for the exclusive use of its members.
Girl Scouting provides a unique setting - Girls working in partnership with caring adults, can explore their potential in Girl Scouting without competition from boys. This opportunity is considered by educators to be essential to the encouragement of their future aspirations. Girl Scouting is unique in providing leadership for girls only. In a climate in which many youth organizations, schools, colleges, and other institutions have become coeducational, GSUSA chooses to continue to devote its total resources to the development of girls in order to prepare them to fulfill their potential as women.
Role models in Girl Scouting - The female role model is essential in carrying out the purpose of Girl Scouting. Interaction with women in leadership positions is of particular importance in the development of girls. All Girl Scout adults-women and men-bring special talents and expertise that enrich Girl Scout program for girls. However, recognizing the value of positive female role models for girls as they develop the decision-making and planning abilities they will need as women, GSUSA stresses the importance of appointing women to Girl Scout leader positions. GSUSA recommends to councils that men who serve in troop leadership roles do so as co-leaders with women.
Pluralism and Diversity in Girl Membership - AlI Girl Scout councils and USA Girl Scouts Overseas locations shall be responsible for seeing that membership is reflective of the pluralistic nature of their populations and that membership is extended to all girls in all population segments and geographic areas in their jurisdictions. A girl who meets or can meet membership requirements shall not be denied admission or access to Girl Scout program because of race, color, ethnicity, creed, national origin, socioeconomic status, or disability. Reasonable accommodations shall be made for girls with disabilities to ensure that girls have access to activities.
Girl Scout program is informal education adapted to meet the developmental, educational, emotional, and social needs and interests of girls at the five age levels: Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior Girl Scouts - Girls with mental retardation should be registered as closely as possible to their chronological age. They wear the uniform of that age level. Adaptations should be made of the ongoing activities of the age level to which the troop belongs. Young women who are mentally retarded may retain their girl membership through their 21St year and then move into an adult membership category.
A Girl Scout council is chartered by GSUSA - It has the authority and responsibility to provide and safeguard the Girl Scout program, build an organization to serve its membership, and extend membership opportunities to all girls within its jurisdiction. Girl Scout councils develop organizational structures to provide effective services to troops or groups in every community. Council resources are allocated to organize groups of girl members and to train and support their adult leadership. No one method can meet the needs of all geographic units or age groups in a council. Accordingly, methods for delivering program and support services need to be tailored to the distinct needs and resources of the group they are designed to serve. It is the responsibility of a council to provide girls who register as individuals with group experiences among peers, carried out in partnership with adults.
Girl Scout councils are community-based organizations - Girl Scouting is supported by the community. This support is earned by enriching the lives of the community's girls and of many adults as well. Girl Scout councils work with other agencies and businesses in their communities to share their Girl Scout expertise. The end results of these cooperative efforts should be better delivery of Girl Scout program and increased membership. Girl Scout sponsorship is a prime example of community cooperation. It helps ensure quality program and the extension and continuity of girl membership.
A Girl Scout council's girl membership-to-population ratio is used to measure council effectiveness in meeting its charter accountabilities - A Girl Scout council's sole purpose is to reach out and deliver Girl Scout program to all girls in its jurisdiction. The participation rate is defined as the number of girl members a council serves in proportion to the number of girls ages 5-17 in the population.
Membership growth is an interdependent responsibility of councils and GSUSA - Girl Scout councils and GSUSA work in concert to achieve annual membership goals. The national organization provides a wide range of membership services and resources to councils. Councils recruit girls and adults as members; they deliver Girl Scout programs to girls and provide training for the adults who serve them.
| President | Barb Ridley | Warsaw, IN |
| Vice President | Kim Stanley | Warsaw, IN |
| Secretary | Julia Berry | Columbia City, IN |
| Treasurer | Linda Blain | South Whitley, IN |
| Board Member | Bradley Pfister | Elkhart, IN |
| Board Member | Courtney Williams | Elkhart, IN |
| Board Member | Robert Franklin | Elkhart, IN |
| Board Member | Shannon Johnson | Albion, IN |
| Board Member | Mary Louise Fox | New Paris, IN |
| Board Member | Dianne Consentino | Elkhart, IN |
| Board Member | Sue Mock | Warsaw, IN |
| Board Member | Marcia Fritz | Kendallville, IN |
